I pick them off when touching them makes them fall off. I have enough air movement that I do not have PM issues ever (been there and not going back). I do have strains that are damn bushy in the center. As long as I don't have PM all of the leafs stay for the duration. My entire room is reflective so the lower leafs grow side ways and upside down collecting light from the lower walls and floor.
I know most growers want those lower flowers to be huge... Not me

.... Those are the makings of bubble and budder for which there is a demand so I let them grow.
In fear of repeating myself... Plants grow what they need not what they don't need!!
i agree with most of what you say, but i do not agree that all plants grow the perfect amount of leaves/branches suited to an indoor situation
in an ideal situation every leaf on every branch every leaf in evey cola would receive equal access to light but this does not happen in practice
especially with stationary overhead lights and branches all fighting for the same light
each branch is in competition for the space and light, allowing them to fight it out among themselves is not wise imo
they should be organised in some way plants require training imo, and some of this training could involve the removal of growth, leaves branches etc
that are healthy .
leaving plants to grow wild without any human intervention with the shape, canopy control etc, can result in lower yields
light can become trapped at the top of the canopy, in some cases plants will not elongate their colas too far out of the canopy
plants that have their colas trapped under a canopy of leaves look awful to me, i have seen a fair few grows from other growers like that
at the opposite end of the spectrum folk who pick almost all the leaves off their plants end up with horrible skinny stick colas, i do not agree with either extreme
i do try to keep as many leaves on my plants as possible without shading and overlap
peace